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E34-2 Cabin top Deflection

TimTimmeh

Member II
I'm addressing an issue on E34-2: Stress from the Traveler is deflecting the cabin top, making a creaking noise as the trim on the companion way rubs on the aft-head wall. It's only moving a few millimeters but, the other day after returning to the dock I snugged the main sheet up tight before I released the backstay tension and the companionway hatch wouldn't close. I've seen some other threads where replacing the low profile traveler with the sturdy high rise was suggested, but on investigation I determined this is not the issue, I attached the main sheet directly to the strbd traveler riser and was still easily flexing the cabintop.

I looked under the headliner in the head and I found there was some tabbing that was attaching the the aft-head bulkhead to the cabin top that had detached itself. I'm not convinced this is original, because it looks like a pretty shoddy job. However there is matching tabbing along the aft-Cabin bulkhead that seems to be holding fast.
I am wondering if there are any other 34-2 or maybe 32-3 owners who have noticed this tabbing under the headliner in the head and aft-cabin connecting to the cabin top around the companionway hatch?
 

TimTimmeh

Member II
First broken tabbing, i already cut the detached part away. Second intact tabbing in the aft cabin
 

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Teranodon

Member III
I'm addressing an issue on E34-2: Stress from the Traveler is deflecting the cabin top....

This is a bit of a shot in the dark, but: are you by any chance missing the weird "babystay" arrangement that connects the mast to the top of the cabin? It's supposed to keep the cabintop from flying away.
 

TimTimmeh

Member II
Nope, it's there and is snug. It's quite a distance away from where the deflection is occurring, seems like cabin top isn't quite stiff enough to fight the mainsheet tension around the companion way without being tied in to the bulkhead
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I attached the main sheet directly to the strbd traveler riser and was still easily flexing the cabintop.

I'm a bit lost here because I don't know the 34-2 traveler setup.

Do you have an aluminum channel spanning the sea hood between molded pylons?

Is the channel bolted also to the sea hood?

You're reporting that the entire cabin top deflects upward when the mainsheet is tightened, right?


 

TimTimmeh

Member II
ericson 34-2 traveler setup

It's just a low profile harken track attached to aluminum risers on both ends and bolted to the sea hood in between, no aluminum channel, no molded pylons.

The deflection is around the strbd side of the traveler - kind of above the bulkheads of the aft-head where the broken tabbing was found.

My first thought was to get an aluminum channel fabricated to span and help support the flimsy part of the cabintop under the seahood, but I don't think this will help much without somehow tying the cabin top down near the strbd end of the traveler.

I'm just unsure if that tabbing was original or a PO's attempt at fixing the same issue.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Ah, I see, you have an aft head on starboard side. That probably changes the structure from what I have.

On the 381, the firm factor of the cabin house comes mostly from the deck/cabin/cockpit mold. As you can see in the photo, no significant transverse bulkhead is installed in that area.

The traveler is bolted to the sea hood, but that doesn;t provide any significant support. All support of the traveler track comes from the track (in its channel) and its attachment to molded pylons at each end.

So you seem to be on the right track, as it were, with the tabbing hypothesis.

If it were me I'd have somebody eyeball the tabbing while honking down hard on the mainsheet.

If that's it, new tabbing should not be that hard, although maybe messy and requiring some cosmetics afterward.

Just speculation and conversation...

bulkhead.jpg
 
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bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
It’s hard to tell without being there but that second picture “appears” to be aftermarket repair. I say “appears” because it doesn’t look like the typical fiberglass cloth in either of the Ericson’s that I have torn into and I have used a similar-appearing cloth for light repairs. If the flex test indicates that gap as the culprit I would try to redo the tabs but using heavier material such as 1708 biaxial cloth and extending it further on the associated surfaces. You will have to expose a larger area. Go at it with a grinder to get a good surface prep before laying down the fiberglass. As Christian stated it’s a horribly messy job, but easy enough and if done right should only need to be done once. It will be interesting to see what you find out. Keep us posted.
 
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TimTimmeh

Member II
That's the plan right now, I've already removed the headliner and trim and used a router to remove the laminate off the inside of the head wall to expose bare wood. I can definitely do a much better job than what was there with some epoxy and a few layers of cloth, I'm thinking of filling the gap and filleting some thickened epoxy in the corners before tabbing it over with glassing.
I think it will all be hidden under the trim and headliner when complete, so doesn't have to be pretty.
 

TimTimmeh

Member II
A quick update in this one. I re-tabbed the bulkheads to the cabin top with a healthy amount of epoxy and 1708 bi-axial cloth, and sure enough the cabin top deflection was stopped, no more squeaky trim ad the hatch slides smoothly while main sheet is heavily loaded, however now the seahood is lifting from the cabin top under load.
I guess the only thing for it is to create a rigid bridge to span the entire length of the traveler, like the harken high-beam track.
 
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